A Libyan protester holds a weapon as he shouts slogans against Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi, during a demonstration in Tobruk, Libya, yesterday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

(Newser)
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Despite the ominous buildup of security forces in Tripoli, opposition groups are vowing to liberate the capital and capture Moammar Gadhafi. Protesters, breakaway military units, and a collection of tribes have joined together, particularly in eastern Libya, to battle the dictator, reports MSNBC. "There is now an operating room for the military groups of all the liberated cities, and they are trying to convince the others to join them," said an army officer who has turned against the government. "They are trying to help the people in Tripoli to capture Gadhafi."

But government loyalists are not about to give up. An army officer read a statement on Libyan state TV, offering rewards to people who inform on the protest leaders. "He who submits his weapon and shows remorse will be exempted from being pursued legally," said the army officer, blaming the unrest on citizens who had been given "intoxicating substances and hallucinatory pills."